Changing pull start to electric

[MIKE IN lINO III]

I have a 50hp Merc I want to make an electric start. Does anyone have experience with this?

I figure I will hire it out as I am no way qualified to do it.

I called around last year and it was around $500. Does that sound about right?

Does anyone know someone that can handle this job?

Thanks,

Mike

[efgh]

Val could probley tell you what you need, he probley needs to know what year and serial no. the motor is, also if the flywheel has a ring gear or not and if it has the starter mounting flange on the motor.

[Valv]

$ 500.00 it's a little high price for the job, but depending on what you want, if you also need remote controls, cables and harnesses to it it will go up higher.

Which year is the motor ?

[T-ProGuy]

Mike,

I did the same thing about 5 years ago with my 1984 40 HP Merc tiller...

I thought it would be expensive and difficult, but it really wasn't. I called Twin City Outboard on a Friday, and told them what I wanted to do. The guys there were really helpful. They told me to bring the boat down there first thing on Saturday morning, before they got busy, and they would help me out. They pulled the cover off the motor, got me everything I would need and told me how to set it up. All in all, including the time I spent driving down there from Brooklyn Park, them looking at it, me driving back home and assembling everything, I was out about 4 hours of my time and less than $150 in total cost. It was time and money very well spent.

It is definitely something that you can do cheap and do it yourself, especially if you are willing to buy used/rebuilt parts.

[Valv]

Wow, I am impressed, I know TCO is not a cheap place, and $ 150.00 for it it's a great price, well worth it.

[musky hunter]

I agree that a 50 hp should be electric start. Just be careful not to put more money into it than it's worth and make them quote the job up front.

[MIKE IN lINO III]

Valv,

It's a 1980. I won't need any cables or harnesses as it is a tiller.

Mike

[MIKE IN lINO III]

T-Proguy,

Did you get a manual or anything to assist you in the conversion? I was looking on the web for some instructions and couldn't find anything. I'm not much of a fix-it guy, more demolition.

Is it a fairly easy conversion? There is a spot on the motor where it looks like a starter would fit into. I was told that I might need to get a new Fly wheel?

I suppose I can take it to Twin City Outboard and they can let me know.

Thanks for the heads up.

Mike

[T-ProGuy]

It really was quite easy to do...

My motor already had the correct flywheel with teeth on it, and there was a place to mount the starter. All I needed was the starter, a switch and the necessary power supply cables. TCO gave me exactly what I needed.

At the time, I had virtually zero outboard experience, and I found it to be quite simple to do. I would suggest giving TCO a call and see what they can do for you. Good luck!

[MIKE IN lINO III]

T-pro guy,

I wil assume that your motor had a strator already on it. Do I need to put one on? I know it is to charge the battery, but is it really neccessary?

Mike

[T-ProGuy]

I bought a new one from Supreme Marine in Minneapolis, but to be honest with you, I never installed it...I would just make sure that I charged that batteries when they needed it. I set up two batteries in parallell to get more run time. I could run my Minnkota 48 AT trolling motor, electronics and use the same set up to start my motor for an entire weekend and was fine. If I knew that there was a chance that I would run the batteries down, I would keep an extra one in the truck to use to start the motor.

A stator certainly isn't a bad idea, I just never used mine.